The Unbreakable
by Kailenth
Summary: Booth and Brennan intend to question a possible suspect, but something bad happens to Brennan. Something that neither of them will never forget. Will Booth be able to help Brennan deal with it?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **The Unbreakable

**Rating:** I'm never sure about these, but M.

**Pairing: **Brennan/Booth

**Summary: **Booth and Brennan intend to question a possible suspect, but something bad happens to Brennan. Something that neither of them will never forget. Will Booth be able to help Brennan deal with it?

**Authors Note: **This is my first Bones fanfic, so please be gentle. ;) No, I'd like some honest feedback. All mistakes are mine and there might be some, even though I have looked it over many times. English isn't my first language, so if there are any problems, please point them out.

This story is nearly finished and I will post the remaining chapters soon. There will be about two or three more, I'm not sure yet.

**Warnings**: This contains sexual assault. If you're not okay with the content, please do not read.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Bones. I do not intend to make money with this story.

The Unbreakable

Booth and Brennan were sitting in the car, eating take out in an comfortable silence. Every once in a while Booth would glance at Brennan but she was lost in thought, fork midway to her mouth, oblivious to the rest of the world. It was those moments that she let her guard down, pondering on some complicated puzzle, forgetting about everything else. She looked so innocent during those moments.

"Bones", Booth said and she looked up, startled. Her face made him smile.

"Yeah?"

"If you're not gonna eat that..." he smirked, signing to her half eaten lunch.

Brennan glanced at it, as if she had forgotten all about it. "No, go ahead. But shouldn't we get going already?" She meant the house they had parked in front of. They were on their way to question a possible suspect, but Booth had insisted on getting lunch first.

"Sure, but it looks like no one's home", he pointed out, viewing the dark windows. "But let's check it out anyway. Come on."

They got out of the car and walked side by side. The street was almost deserted except for a white van that was parked near. Booth gave Brennan another look. They hadn't talked about Hannah or anything relating the question of "us" since the night he and Hannah had broken up. It was though they had an silent agreement of going on as just partners as Booth had said. He wasn't sure why he had insisted on it. It was true he was tired of women not wanting the same as he, but he still longed to be with Brennan. He still loved her. He still loved Hannah, too, which made him even more confused.

She had called him once or twice, leaving a message on his answering machine but he hadn't called back. She had asked him if he was okay. He didn't know if he was or not. Maybe deep down he was glad Hannah had said no. The idea of proposing had come from Sweets' unintentional challenge but he didn't exactly know why he had done it. Sure, Hannah was beautiful, smart and perfect for him in every way, but did he really love her enough to want to marry her? He didn't know that either. Even though he didn't need to wonder about that now that they weren't together anymore, he was tired of not knowing.

Brennan knocked on the door, but there was no answer. They waited a while, but the house remained quiet. She tried to peek

"I'll go check the back door", she announced and before he could react, she had already dissappeared.

"I should do that, I'm the one with the gun", he called after her, but he just shrugged and decided to head to the other side. Brennan was probably carrying an illegal gun of her own anyway, knowing her. He heard a cry of pain and his heart rate picked up, just like everytime he thought his partner was in danger. He reached for his gun and broke into a run.

The sight made his blood run cold. A huge man, with a dark beard and strench coat was holding a gun against Brennan's head. Before the man noticed him, he took the safety off his own gun and pointed the weapon to the man.

"FBI, drop the gun and put your hands on your head."

The man smirked. "I don't think so. See, I have gun on your beatiful partner here and if you don't put down your weapon, her head will blow up. "

Booth looked at Brennan, whose eyes were wide with fear, but there was something there. Defiance. She would fight the man to death if she had to. Booth knew her well enough to know that she would.

"I don't think so. I'll shoot you before you have the time to even think about harming her."

Booth heard a click just behind his head and felt a gun pressing on his back. "Really?" How had he not have heard him coming? "Put down your gun, now."

Outnumbered, he did as he was told. He dropped his gun and placed his hands in the air. The guy behind him held the gun in its place and rummaged though Booth's pockets, finding his car keys and badge.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI. How nice to meet you. Jeff, let's get these two inside."

The man called Jeff grunted and signed for Brennan to go before him. Grudginly, she obeyed and Booth followed them with his captor.

"Sit", Jeff said to Brennan and him and they obeyed. Now Booth could see both of their captors. The other man was taller than Jeff, but wasn't as bulky. He had a mean look on his face and cold eyes.

"How unfortunate that you two happened to walk in just as we were finishing up", the unnamed man sneered. Booth noticed how the living room had been emptied of anything valuable. Regular burglars, then. And they had got the drop on him and Brennan? How embarrassing. But he could worry about that later, after he had gotten her out of this alive.

Brennan was looking at nothing, silent. Her warmth against him on the small couch was comforting to him.

"Matt, I'll go check if they came alone", Jeff said and Matt nodded. Matt was clearly the leader of the two, Booth noted. He was still holding a gun on them.

A minute later Jeff returned. "There was no one else. I brought rope."

"Good", Matt nodded. "Tie their hands. Is Nathan almost finished upstairs?"

Great. There were three of them.

"Yeah. He's coming down soon."

Jeff moved to tie Brennan's hands but there was nothing Booth could do as the other man was threatening them with a weapon. He noticed her wincing as Jeff tightened the ropes around her wrists.

"Sorry", Jeff said and winked at her. Booth felt sick. He nudged Brennan, making her look at him. He gave her a look that said 'everything will be okay' and he got a 'I know' back. Even though they were in a dangerous situation, he felt relieved that they could still communicate without words.

"Alright, what do we have here?" the third man, apparently named Nathan, asked as he came into the room. He was blond and even bulkier than Jeff and he looked a lot younger than the other two. He looked at Brennan. "Hey, she's hot. We gonna keep her?" He smirked, looking into her eyes. Brennan raised her chin and gave him such a loathing look that would have made a more sensitive guy flee the scene. That's my girl, Booth thought. But Nathan just laughed. "I like her."

"Now that the pleasantries are over, what are we gonna do with them?" Jeff asked, giving the other guy a pointed look, but he just shrugged.

"Let's toss the guy and have a little fun with the woman. Who said we shouldn't have fun at work?"

Booth felt Brennan tencing up next to him.

"We don't have time to start playing with her. Let's get the stuff out of here first and figure it out then", Matt instructed. "I'll keep an eye on them. "

The other two left the room. Matt sat down on the chair opposite of them. The hand holding the gun didn't waver a bit. Booth tried to move his hands and get out of the ropes, but they didn't budge. These guys were clearly professional and he was worried of the lengths they would go to get the job done.

"So FBI, huh?" Matt asked, tilting his head. "I'm sorry for you. You should think about other hobbies, something that pays more. Like this."

"What, were you a cop before?" Booth asked. Matt smirked.

"Maybe I was. It got boring soon, though, but I have to admit, it helps to know how you guys think. Helps us to be a couple of steps ahead."

Nathan entered the room, holding a book in his hand. "Hey, look what I found in the old lady's bedroom. Look familiar?"

Matt glanced at the picture on the cover and then at Brennan. "Hey, I thought she looked familiar. What an honour, a famous anthropologist here as our guest. Nice to meet you, Temperance. Isn't your dad Max Brennan? Or as we know him, Max Keenan?"

Brennan tensed up more, giving the men the answer, even though they didn't need it. Booth cursed in his head. This was just perfect. They could've gotten out unharmed, but the guys had to hold a grudge against Max. It wasn't a surprise, really. Max might have been a criminal and a murderer, but compared to these guys he was a saint. Of course they had clashed.

Nathan smirked. "You mean that man who interrupted your gig a while back?"

"That would be the one", Matt answered, lost in thought. After a while he spoke. "It looks like you can have your fun after all, Nathan. We all know how much Max loves his kids. This could be the way to send a message I've been looking for."

"You stay away from her", Booth snarled. His insides had gone cold at the man's words. If they even laid a finger on her...

"Oh, don't worry, we're just gonna borrow your girlfriend", Nathan smirked and stepped in front of Brennan, touching her face with his hand. She shivered, but she didn't lose her defiant expression. "She'll be fine. Maybe, if I'm feeling nice."

A split second later she kicked him right in the groin. Booth winced in sympathy. Nathan cursed and doubled over. "You bitch!" He yelled as he recovered. He slapped her across her face hard, making her yelp in pain. "You're so gonna pay for that."

"Leave her alone, you bastard!" Booth yelled in anger. All he wanted to do was kill these men for this. If they hurt her again, he would find a way to put them down, he was sure of it.

"Calm down", Matt commanded Nathan, his face expressionless, clearly not feeling any sympathy for the man. "She's clearly a feisty one. And you-", he said to Booth, "-shut up. This doesn't concern you."

Jeff came back. "Everything's ready. We can go."

Please just leave, Booth begged them in his head. Just go.

"Not so fast. We have Max Keenan's daughter, Temperance with us."

"It's Dr. Temperance Brennan for you", Brennan hissed at him, speaking at last. "And I'm sure you're aware of what my father will do to you if he finds out. He's a very frightnening man."

"Oh, we're aware", Jeff grinned. He turned to speae to Matt. "Max Keenan's daughter... This is certainly a chance we can't miss. What do you want to do?"

"Oh, come on. I think you know what we're gonna do", Nathan said, finally standing straight, but keeping to Brennan's side, not giving her another shot at kicking him. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "You're gonna love it, baby."

Brennan spat straight onto his face. He closed his eyes and dried his face with his other hand. His smile turned into a sneer. "If I were you, I'd stop fighting me."

He moved his hands onto her blouse and started opening the buttons. Booth turned his face away. This couldn't be happening. They were going to take her right there and there was nothing he could do. He tried to move from the couch, but Matt's weapon was pushed closer to his face, making him freeze again.

Nathan grabbed Brennan by her hair, yanking her on her feet. He kissed her roughly, still holding her hair as she tried to pull away.

"Let her go!" Booth tried, but Matt just sighed.

"Someone shut him up, please."

A moment later Jeff appeared in front of Booth and stuffed a cloth in his mouth.

Matt stood up. "I'm done babysitting this one", he said and grabbed Booth who fought, but was once again stopped by the gun hovering in front of him. Matt shoved him in the chair he had occupied previously himself and tied his hands to it. To his horror, he now had a good view of Brennan struggling with her assaulter.

When Nathan finally parted from Brennan, she felt more frightened than ever in her life. She didn't like the feeling at all. She hated not being in control and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop these men from raping her. She could fight, even hurt them, but it would only anger them. But she was good at angering people, so...

"Ah, don't try that again", Matt said, as he noticed Brennan's intentions on kicking Nathan again. He had come behind her and was now touching her breasts, not at all gently. She felt disgusted.

The worst part was that Booth was there, seeing everything. She felt humiliated, being there terrorized by other men in front of her partner. In front of the man she loved. As Nathan tried to kiss her again, she moved her head. "Please", she breathed out.

"What? Now you're begging? Lost the fight in you, did ya?" Nathan asked, smirking triumphantly and turning her head towards him again. She hated to be asking him anything, but she had to stop this.

"Do whatever you want, but not in front of Booth", Brennan blurted out, looking pleadingly into Nathan's eyes. Eyes that didn't show any sympathy at all, only dark lust. "Please."

"Oh come on, I'm sure he would love to watch."

Brennan glanced at Booth who was trying to say something, but the cloth in his mouth was muffling his cries. She knew what his eyes were saying. 'Fight, don't mind me. Just fight'. But she couldn't do that.

"Not in front of him", she begged again. Nathan sighed mockingly and looked at Matt. Apparently he agreed because Matt took his hands of her and started to drag her towards the other room. She met Booth's eyes and tried to signal that it was okay, but she didn't believe it herself. Booth's eyes were wide with fear as he was still struggling with his bonds. She turned her head away.

After Matt had made sure Booth was not getting away, they dragged her all the way upstairs, to a big bedroom. They shoved her in there and she almost tripped as the bound hands were disturbing her balance.

"I hope you're happy now", Naithan laughed as he pushed her down on her knees. She wanted so bad to cry but didn't want to give them the satisfaction. But as Nathan started to undo his belt, she was fighting hard the tears. You'll live through this, she tried telling herself. You'll live through this. Somehow that didn't comfort her. Jeff closing the door with a soft click felt like a final nail to her coffin. There was no way out.

When Nathan told her to open her mouth and she kept it tightly shut, he struck her again and she finally broke into tears.

"It's okay, baby", Nathan cooed maliciously, pushing his member in her mouth and stroking her hair. "It's okay."


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much for your reviews and alerts! It got me really motivated to keep writing. I will finish this story no matter what, of course, but the reception was truly wonderful, thank you.

For me at least, this one feels like a filler chapter after the action. The next one will delve into Brennan's mind and there's lots of angst. I like to get everything as messed up as possible before starting to resolve it. I'm just evil that way. :)

Chapter 2

Booth was yanking at his binds so hard that it hurt, but the knots had only loosened a bit. He was nowhere near getting them off, but he had to concentrate on something else than the occasional grunt or cry of pain coming from upstairs.

It had been forever since the men had dragged Brennan away from him. He guessed it had only been less than half an hour, but it felt like the longest half an hour of his life. All he wanted to do was scream and hit at the men, preferably to shoot them. If he got the chance, he certainly would. But he couldn't even make a sound. He had never felt more helpless in his life.

Finally he heard the stairs creaking. Matt was holding his gun, but he wasn't pointing it at Brennan. There was no need, because she looked like she was stopped fighting a long ago. It scared Booth, seeing the strongest person he knew so run-down, both emotionally and physically.

Her hands were no longer tied behind her back. Jeff was gripping her arm so tightly that Booth could swear he saw bruises forming. Brennan's blouse was half torn and her hair was a mess, as was her face, teary and bruised. She was looking down with hollow eyes, craddling her wrist that seemed to hurt. She wasn't crying now, but her eyes were red and puffy.

As Jeff almost dragged her across the room, she tried to kick her captor once more, but the effort was so weak that Jeff dodged it easily. He let go of her by the couch and she slouched on the floor.

"Well, I guess our work here is done", Matt announced cheerfully and Nathan sneered. Nathan closed on Brennan and kicked her harsly to the side, getting only a silent whimper out of her, as she lay there in a fetal position.

"I'm sorry, baby, but we have to go now. Make sure Max gets the message", he whispered to her and petted her head. As he rose, he gave Booth a triumphant smirk. Matt just waved at them, going out the door and the other two following him.

Brennan was still lying on the floor and all Booth could do was wait since he was not going anywhere. A minute later he heard a car starting. He tried to remember what kind of van had been parked by the street, but his memory was hazy. All he could concentrate on was Brennan, who had closed her eyes and wasn't moving.

At last, Brennan moved carefully from the floor and made her way to Booth, pain evident on her face, but still she got the knots untied in a matter of seconds. Then she slouched on the couch, unable to stand anymore.

Booth stood up slowly and tried to stretch out his sore muscles. His first instict was to hug Brennan, but she must have figured out his intentions because when he moved closer to her, she whispered: "Don't."

Immediately he stopped and picked up his gun and badge from the floor instead. All he wanted to do was go to her, hold her in his arms and say that everything woud we okay as he had done so many times before. But this was different. He had no idea what to say or do while Brennan continued on staring at nothing. He knew that she needed him more than ever and that he had to be there for her at all costs. He decided to take it step by step.

"Bones? Can you get up?" He asked as gently as he could. A while later he got a nod as a response. He took her carefully by the arm and helped her up. She couldn't stand straight or walk fast, but soon he got her in the car. After a quick call about the incident, he stood in the driver's seat and started the car. His gaze happened to stop at Brennan's still unfinished luch. The time before they had gone in the house felt as if it had been ages ago.

Brennan was now leaning at her door. Her eyes scared him, because he saw nothing there. All he wanted was to hear Brennan blabber on about some bone or some scientific phenomenon, her face gleaming with exitement. But she kept still.

She didn't speak until they passed the Jeffersonian institute and kept driving.

"Where are you driving?" She asked, eyeing the surroundings.

Booth felt taken back at that. Both because he was surprised at hearing her speak and because

he had thought it was quite obvious. "To the hospital."

"Why? Are you hurt? Because I need to get back to work."

"Bones", Booth started, exasperated. "_You're hurt_. You're not going back to work, but the hospital. You probably have broken ribs and other - injuries."

"Booth, I'm an anthropologist. You are aware of what that means? I think I'd know if my ribs were broken", she argued, speaking like she was debating with an idiot. But for once he felt like the more rational one of the two.

"Ah-huh. Do you feel fuzzy? You might have a concussion", he wondered, eyeing her carefully. She shook her head, but the movement seemed to hurt her, because her face flashed with pain and she lowered her head back against the window. "The hospital it is, then..."

As Brennan fell silent after that, Booth started to ramble on about work and Parker and anything he could think of to fill the silence that felt deafening. They reached the hospital and Brennan reluclantly let him guide her inside as she could still barely walk.

For the second time that day Booth waited for Brennan anxiously. He was barely able to sit still while she was being treated. He wanted to keep her in eye sight. The nurse came to take him to see her when they were done and he entered the room. She was in a hospital bed, wearing the gown and holding out her x-rays in the air with her left hand, as the right one had been wrapped in bandage.

"Did you seriously ask to see your x-rays?" Booth asked, amused but not that surprised. Brennan looked at him quickly before turning back to her task at hand.

"I want to make sure they've made the right diagnosis", she simply replied, moving her hand to get better lighting.

"Have they?"

"Yes, I am quite satisfied now."

Booth sat down on the most uncomfotable chair in the world, but in that moment he didn't really care. He took in the surroundings. It was a basic, depressing hospital room. Brennan cleared her throat and with a movement so fast he felt his neck would break, his head snapped to the direction of the sound.

"You can go now."

The words took a while to register. "I'm sorry?"

"You can go now. I'll be fine", she said quietly, holding the x-rays up again. He knew it was so she wouldn't have to look at him.

"I'm not going anywhere", Booth replied sternly.

"Why?"

"Why?" He repeated, incredilous. Brennan's way of dealing with things wasn't the most common, but he had thought she'd want him there for her. Things hadn't been the same lately, but they were still partners, still good friends. Right?

"Because I care about you, Bones, and I don't want you to be alone."

"I understand you might feel obligated towards me -"

Following her reasoning was once again turning out to be a bit difficult. "I don't feel obligated. What're you talking about?"

She was now removing lint from her sheet. "There is no reason for you to stay here, I'll be fine on my own."

"You're not serious. Would you please at least look at me?" He asked and she met his eyes. Immediately he saw that she was being serious. "You really want me to leave?"

"Yes."

Booth shook his head. Anger was bubbling inside him. Anger at her, the situation and himself. Why couldn't he make her understand? Maybe the best option would indeed be to leave.

"Fine, then", was all he said before exiting the room. He didn't have time to see Brennan blinking away her tears.

The next morning, the first thing yawning Angela saw, was Booth standing in front of her office, arms crossed. She raised her eyebrows at the sight.

"I know you're trying to scare me by standing there all butc, but it looks more ridiculous than anything else", she quipped as soon as they were withing earshot. Normally that woul've deserved a flirtatious smile, but not his morning. Booth could see her concern rising.

She narrowed her eyes. "Okay, what's going on?"

"Did you go to the hospital?" He inquired, carefully avoiding the question.

She sighed. "You tell me my best friend's in the hospital, you won't tell me why she's there and you sound like you're being chased by all of your ex-girlfriends. What do you think I did?"

"And?"

"She wasn't there."

"What?" Angela took him by the arm and guided him to her office as people were starting to stare.

"Stop screaming, please. She wasn't there. I'm not family so all they said was that she had left."

Booth ran a hand across his face. That woman would be the end of him some day, he was sure of it. "So she was alone last night?"

"I guess so. I went by her apartment, she wouldn't let me in. I heard some moving around, so I knew she was there. Calling didn't help either and finally I went home. Are you going to tell me what's going on?" He saw he was starting to really worry Angela, but there was nothing he could say to make her feel better. He had hoped after he'd been kicked out of the hospital room, his partner would open up to Angela. Or at least let her keep her company.

But Brennan had gone home, alone.

Suddenly he was very mad at Angela. He was mad at her for not forcing Brennan to open the door, for not waiting all night outside her apartment if she had to. But he knew he was being ridiculous. The only person he was mad at, was himself. He was supposed to be the one to care of her, be the one she turned to. But he hadn't been doing a great job at that lately, he realised with a jab of guilt.

"Has she come in yet?"

Angela shook her head. "Haven't seen her. But if she's hurt, you'd think she'd stay home today." Booth gave her a pointed look, reminding her who she was talking about. "Good point. Why don't you -"

Before Angela could finish, Booth was already on his way. "I'm going to talk to her. I'll explain later", he informed her from the door so firmly that she had no choice but to sit down and begin her work. Still Booth knew that the interrogation wasn't nearly over.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you again for your kind words and alerts, I appreciate it. Here's some more angst for you.

The story's going to be bit longer than I anticipated, because I don't want to rush things. I realized yesterday that I can't cram everything in the amount of chapters I planned. But no worry, I won't drag this out either.

I'll stop rambling now. Please, go on and enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 3

_I'm so tired of being here_  
_Suppressed by all my childish fears_  
_And if you have to leave_  
_I wish that you would just leave_  
_'Cause your presence still lingers here_  
_And it won't leave me alone_

_These wounds won't seem to heal_  
_This pain is just too real_  
_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

Brennan had driven to her apartment in a haze. She couldn't remember how she had got there, just suddenly standing in front of her door and wondering what she was doing there. After a moment she realized she needed keys to get in and started fumbling with them.

Once she made it in, she routinely dropped her keys on the kitchen table, shrugged off her jacket and sat down on the couch in the living room. She didn't know how long she sat there, numb, unfeeling. Or trying not to feel anything.

The images were too fresh in her mind to block out. She could still hear their voices, her own sobs... Their smells, the suffocating, musty colone. _Don't think about it_, she told herself, but she couldn't stop her memories playing in her head as if they were an endless movie. She couldn't stop herself from feeling dirty, violated...She could feel them on her, feel the limgering of their touch. In all of a sudden, she felt squeasy as she rushed into the bathroom.

When she had emptied the contents of her stomach, she stood up with shaky legs. She decided to undress, as she realized she was wearing still the clothes the hospital had loned her, as the FBI had taken her own clothes with them. After all, the incident had been just a part of the murder investigation. She had given her statement of what had happened. She had been forced to go through every single detail, every word. They had forced her to live through it again. She had found herself wishing she hadn't driven Booth away.

Booth... Right now, she needed him more than ever, more than she could bear. This was no new feeling for her lately, to be honest. She and Booth had been spending very little time lately, even after his breakup with Hannah. Things had been awkward for a while now, especially after her telling him she had made a mistake. Booth most likely felt guilty and Brennan felt rejected. She had said she understood, but in reality she didn't. She had been naive to think that he could still love her, but that was over.

Brennan missed the old 'them' so bad that it hurt. She missed the times they could talk about anything, argue about the most unimportant and important things and eat in the diner. She missed the smiles that he would often give only to her. Just 'them'. He had always been there for her, until he... wasn't. It wasn't his fault, really. She had hurt him bad, broken his heart. Then they gone to seperate sides of the world, after that there had been Hannah and somewhere along the way, things had changed.

But that wasn't why she couldn't go to him now. The last few months hadn't demolished the five years of their partnership; she knew he would come through. But she had seen the look on his face when the men had announced their intentions out loud and after she had come back to the living room. It was full of regret, compassion, but also pity. When he talked, it sounded like he was afraid she would break, or that something he said would send her off the edge. He was treating her like a victim. He thought she was weak now. With the strenght she had left, she slouched back on the couch, now wearing only a bath rope. The movement made her battered side hurt, but she barely noticed.

Maybe she was weak. She had always thought she could protect herself, prevent anything like this happening. She knew she couldn't have done anything, considering the gun, without getting Booth or herself killed. But maybe she would have felt better, if she had fought more. These thoughts in her head, she drifted off to a restless sleep.

There was a knocking on her door. She returned to reality with a jolt. Was it Booth who had found out she had left the hospital? Technically, he wouldn't have anything to be mad about since she had stayed until the FBI guys had come, she reasoned.

"Bren, let me in", she heard from outside and she sighed in relief, recognizing the voice. Not Booth. "I know you're in there", Angela hollered, knocking more fiercely.

Brennan took in a deep breath and grabbed a blanket, covering herself with it. She did want to see Angela, but she didn't have the energy to avoid her questions upon seeing her. In addition, she could bet Angela was here because she had talked with Booth. When her phone started to ring, she silenced it.

As the knocking continued, she curled into a ball and closed her eyes. She didn't even notice when the sound eventually stopped.

Brennan had thought she could distract herself with work. She had been doing it for years, if something was bothering her. She would stay in her office doing paperwork until midnight and forget about everything else. That was her plan now. However, she wouldn't be staying in her office as she was hoping to stay out of sight. It was a good chance Booth would turn up at some point. With that thought, she headed down to Limbo.

Her co-workers were giving her some curious glances, but she couldn't really blame them. She had gotten up to get to work as usual. Although not quite as usual, as she had barely slept and eyefull all night. She had stayed in the living room, dozing off for a while and waking up from a nightmare. After a time that felt only minutes, it was already dawn. Therefore, it wasn't a surprise she was a mess. Her bruising had strenghtened in colour and it didn't help that there were now dark bags under her eyes. After showering, she had thrown on the first clothes she could find and brushed her hair, but had not bothered with makeup.

Before Brennan noticed, she almost ran into Cam. Her boss gaped at the sight of her and even in her exhaustion, Brennan found herself hoping she had made even a bit of an effort on her appearance as she was there under the other woman's scrutiny. She already knew what her verdict would be.

"Morning, Dr. Saroyan", she greeted cheerfully, which made her eyebrows rise even higher. Her overcompensating clearly wasn't reaching the desired outcome.

"Morning, Dr. Brennan. What happened to you?"

"Nothing to worry about." She forced a smile on her face. "I was just in a minor accident."

Cam narrowed her eyes. "I see." She was quiet for only a second before speaking with authority, "I think you should take this day off and come back on Monday. Unless you want some sick leave to heal -"

"I am completely fine", she tried to reassure. She already knew there was no point and eventough she had no desire to return home, she had no power in her left to fight over the decicion. "I am definitely capable of doing my work."

"No buts, Dr. Brennan. I do admire your work ethics, but now it's better if you go home", Cam stated sternly, but concern evident in her voice. As she continued walking, she called over her shoulder. "Oh, and If I see you here again today, you're taking the rest of the month off."

Brennan felt her shoulders sag as she turned back towards her office. She had anticipated this, but her spirit deflated all the same. She didn't get far before he saw Booth and Angela talking in front of Angela's office. They both seemed extremely worried, especially Booth, whose whole appearance hinted of deep exhaustion. She wondered if he had gotten any more sleep than she had.

She knew Booth wouldn't tell Angela the whole story. She knew she would tell Angela eventually, but not right now. Besides, her friend looked worried already and she could only imagine her reaction upon finding out what had happened.

She was a bit hurt Booth had tried to get Angela to look after her instead of doing it himself. But she was the one who had kicked him out her hospital room, she reminded herself. She leaned against the wall and kept behind the corner. She knew it was irrational and childish to be hiding like this, but she saw no alternative. She couldn't go to Booth, because she certainly wasn't ready to face his pitying face yet. She was feeling bad anough for herself already.

"What?"

Booth was hearing about her departure from the hospital. As Angela guided him to her office, Brennan slipped past them. She would go home before Booth would find her. As always, leaving him left her with a pressure in her chest.

Soon after fleeting, her phone vibrated in her pocket, but she silenced it.

* * *

I'm sorry that it was short, but this seemed like a good place to stop. The song used in the beginning was of course My Immortal by Evanescence. The next update shouldn't take long as it's the weekend. :)


	4. Chapter 4

I haven't had any time to write this week because I've been on driving classes every night, so I apologize. The last episode of Bones, though, got me so excited that I want to write faster and get to the Grande Finale. :D

(Btw, if anyone cares, I drove a car for the first time ever. It was pretty great. I'm so jealous of the people who can start when they're 16.)

Chapter 4

Booth dialed the number that he knew by heart and put the phone on his ear. He knew it wouldn't be answered, but he still let it ring a couple of times before ending the call. He sighed.

He had been parked in front of Brennan's building for a while now, but he couldn't get the strenght to get out of the car. He knew she didn't want to see him, but what choice did he have? It would be irresponsible to let her be alone right now and not make sure she was okay, he knew that. He also knew he truly wanted to see her.

Making his final decicion, he stepped out of the car. He remained calm and confident all the way to her door where his certainty started to diminish. Angela's final words at him, before leaving the Jeffersonian, kept repeating in his head. 'Don't let her push you away.' Before he could think of turning back, the door opened and Brennan was standing there.

Her hair was wet and she was wearing a loose, unflattering hooded jacket, something Booth hadn't even known she owned. Still, that wasn't what got his attention. It was her red, raw looking skin on of neck and hands.

He smiled unsurely, attempting not to show that he had noticed. He had a feeling he knew why her skin looked like that. "Hey, Bones. How did you know I was here?"

"I smelled the food", she replied curtly and crossed her arms across her chest. Booth tried not to look hurt at the chilly welcoming, keeping in mind why she was acting this way. Trying to protect herself from more heart break.

He held out the take-out bags. "Well, you were right. Hungry?"

As Booth was preparing for his 'please let me in'-speech, Brennan seemed to be fighting an inner battle. When her stomach made a loud sound that could hardly be interpreted wrong and he raised his eyebrows at her, she sighed in defeat.

"Come on in", she said and led the way into the kitchen. Booth followed, surprised. He had expexcted an argument, at least.

They remained silent as they sat on the couch and dug in their food. It was familiar and comforting to be sitting there with her, he realized. He couldn't remember the last time they had did this, but it was still routine. He looked around, noticing she had changed the order in her living room. He had always loved her place as it was so unique and so Bones, full of things that had names he couldn't pronounce.

It was Brennan who spoke first. "I'm pleased that you're checking up on me -"

"You are?"

"- but you don't need to. I'm fine."

"I know you are", he replied gently and looked at her warmly. He was pleasently surprised as she returned the gaze. "But I'm sure you could still use some company. I heard that Cam made you leave work."

"Yes, she almost threatened to fire me if I didn't", she told. Her smile was feeble, but there. Booth hadn't known that a gesture that small could make him feel as good as it did. "But I found something to do. I'm working on a new novel." She beckoned to the open laptod that had the draft on the screen.

He grinned. "Really? I assume it's about solving murders with bones. Not that I'm complaining, but don't you get tired of dealing with that in your books too?"

"No, it's quite exciting to write about. And Angela's helping with the relationships again", she answered, the courner of her mouth twitching a bit. "But the forensics is the important part."

"Of course." He eyed the computer. "Is that a new laptop?"

Brennan's eyes brightened up. "Yes, I got it last week. It's has much more capacity than the last one. It also has..."

Brennan rambled on about the qualities of the computer as Booth listened, feigning interest. What he really was concentrating on, was her voice. He had started to miss it during the last day. After she was finished, Booth inquired about the new ornaments he hadn't seen before and anything unimportant he could think of.

Ultimately, his plan worked and she started to relax, even earning him a few laughs. That was when he revealed his secret weapon and pulled out a stack of DVDs from one of the take-out bags.

"Ta daa!"

Brennan eyed them suspiciously. "You want to watch a movie."

"Yes."

"But I don't have a TV", she protested, but Booth had already got up and was carrying the laptop with him. He set it on the coffee table in front of them.

"This is a great opportunity to test this thing, don't you think?" He asked, smirking widely. "I thought I'd introduce you to some classics."

They examined the pile and decided on Lord of The Rings. After Booth had teased her enough of not having seen it, he pushed play. They settled into watching the movie in a comfortable silence. It felt like the old days, when Brennan lowered her head on his shoulder, filling Booth with a warm feeling. By the time the fellowship was grieving for Gandalf, Brennan's eyes started to droop.

Booth watched her sleep with a smile on his face. She looked even more beautiful while she was sleeping, all relaxed and vulnerable. She was so close he could smell her shampoo... He straightened his posture and tried to focus on the film, even though she kept distracting her, twitching and mumbling about something incoherent.

When the credits appeared on the screen and Booth moved to take out the dvd, she started to stir.

"Wakey, wakey, Sleeping Beauty", he joked, placing the movie in its case.

"How much did I miss?" She questioned, yawning and stretching out her limbs.

He smiled. "Not much. I'll bring you up to speed when we watch the second one."

He hesitated, because he did have something serious to talk about, too. Brennan noticed the change in his mood and tensed up immediately. He crossed her arms across her chest again.

"Booth..."

Before she would start to close up, he looked her straight in the eyes. "Look, I know you don't want to talk about it and I'm not gonna force you to. Not until you're ready."

She looked surprised, but pleased. "Thank you."

"But we still need to catch them." Both of them who he was talking about. "I don't know if they're connected to the murder or not, but we have to find them. They seemed to know your father, so..."

"You want me to ask my father if he knows who they are", she finished for him.

"Yes."

She shifted, uncomfortable. "Can't you do it?"

"Of course", he answered reassuringly. "But I thought that maybe you would like to do it yourself."

She fell silent, pondering. She nodded. "I will ask him and then tell you."

"Okay, great. " He got up, gathering his belongins and advancing on the door. "Call me if you need anything, okay? I have Parker tomorrow, but -"

"Booth", she interrupted him. "Do you think you could stay? I think I can... sleep better if you're here."

"Yeah, of course", he replied right away. "I can take the couch."

"It's not good for your back. I have a large bed. If it's fine with you", she hastened to add. Suddenly Booth found himself yearning for a long, cold shower.

"Yeah, sure. It's- it's fine", he stammered. She smiled the way that always made him want to kiss her and he wondered if he would survive the night.

In the end, everything went fine, much to Booth's surprise. There were moments when he had to start reciting saints, such as when Brennan got into the bed in her nightgown. Or when he woke up and noticed they were tangled together and she had her head on his chest.

He meant to get up, but he wanted to stay where he was for a little while longer. When she started to mumble in her sleep, he woke from his haze and gently moved her off him and tiptoed ouf of the room.

Calling Rebecca he would a bit late to pick up Parker, he got busy in the kitchen. He felt guilty for making his son wait as they already got to spend so little time together, but he couldn't have Brennan wake up and find out he had already gone. There was a reason she had asked him to stay, he thought grimly.

When the pancakes were almost done and he was glancing at his clock every five seconds, Brennan finally appeared.

"You made breakfast", she stated matter of factly, stopping to stare at the sight.

"That's right. Just because we always eat junk food, doesn't mean I can't cook", he answered, triumphant. "But I think I still managed to burn it."

"That's fine", she smiled, amused, and went to to the kitchen cabinets. She was going to take out two plates, but he shook his head, apologizing.

"You go ahead and eat. I actually have to pick up Parker", he said and motioned for the door. There was a flash of disappointment on her face before her smile was back, but it was coming out somewhat forced. "We're going to the park and all..."

"Of course. Thank you for everything."

"Yeah, don't mention it. Or you know", he started, a thought popping into his head upon seeing her starting to eat, head down. "We could go swimming to your pool in stead... All three of us. Parker really likes the pool. And you."

Her face visibly lit up. "Of course. That could be fun. It's been a while since we went there."

It really had. "Right. I'll stop by my place, go get Parker and get back soon.

He finally left the appartment, his mind lighter than it had been in weeks.

* * *

Am I imagining, or is my Brennan really emotional in this? Anyway, let me know what you think. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

I'm sorry, I have no excuse for how long this took. I lost my inspiration for a while, but as I'm now participating in Nano, I have some writing motivation back.

There'll be maybe two chapters more after this. And if you're confused (,as this started ages ago,) this takes place sometime after **The Daredevil in the Mold** in season 6, going AU from there. And if you're wondering, there is a case in this as well, but this fic is all about the relationship, making the case a shameless plot device.

Chapter Five

Brennan had to admit that it was true what was said about the cheering effect children could have, as she still had a smile on her face when she walked into her office on Monday morning and threw her bag on the desk.

Booth had taken her up on his promise and the three of them had gone swimming to Brennan's pool. Somehow, Parker's hear warming excitement as he saw her immediately lifted her spirits in a way that even the pain she felt when Parker buried her in a hug, couldn't darken it.

As Parker blabbered on about basically everything that had happened the last time they'd been swimming, Brennan had been reminded how much time had passed since she'd really spent time with Parker. Booth seemed to be coming to the same conclusion, as he averted her eyes, a bit guilty. Brennan had had to be very careful while in the pool, but Parker didn't seem to notice as he was too busy demonstrating new swimming techniques he had learned.

She was still in the middle of her reminiscing, when she heard the sound of high heels approaching her office and tensed. It wasn't her usual reaction to Angela, but in this case, it filled her with dread.

"Hey, Bren!" Angela greeted her, as she peeked her head into the office. The smile was so wide that it looked uncomfortable.

"Morning, Angela", Brennan answered, starting to move the papers on her desk aside to have some room to work. This was part the reason she liked to get her work done right away instead of leaving it to the last minute. Although, at least now she would be busy for the entire day.

"Let me help!" Angela immediately offered and almost leaped to take the papers from her and quickly arranged the pile neatly on the other side of the desk, while Brennan stood there unsure what to do.

"So... How is everything?" Angela's tone was very light. She was clearly trying to look casual, but her worry and curiosity shone through clear enough that Brennan did not need to try guessing what she wanted to talk about.

Brennan resisted a sigh. She had known that this was coming and she had to admit that maybe Angela had some reason to worry. She had no idea of what had happened, besides that her best friend had been in the hospital and then had not let her in.

"Everything is fine. And before you ask, I am fine. There was an incident during the case and because of that, I had to be checked up in the hospital. That is all", she said very carefully, trying to remember all the things Booth had told her about the signs that showed a person was lying. Unfortunately, Angela knew her too well and she was still a very bad liar.

Angela dropped down to the chair in front of Brennan and pierced her with her trademark I-know-you're-lying-and-I'm-not-buying-it look. Her drop was more careful than usual as she placed a protecting hand on her baby pump. Brennan could see the moment she dropped the over sensitive act and got down to business.

"Alright. What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Are we talking about something serious? I have no idea what happened and it's driving me crazy. Booth won't say anything -"

"- I asked him not to-"

"- and I have more respect for you than go searching for the FBI report", she finished, still waiting for an explanation.

Brennan had no idea how to give her one. On some level, she truly wanted to tell her friend the whole story, ask for advice like she usually did. Angela and Booth were her guides in these kinds of situations so it made perfect sense to be talking to her.

But the words just didn't come. She opened her mouth a few times, but she couldn't say it out loud. It was irrational, but saying it would somehow make it too real. She averted her gaze, pretending to be very interested in the surface of her desk.

"Alright", Angela sighed in defeat when the silence had streched out long enough and Brennan was still looking at anywhere but her. "I won't force you. "

She stood up, beckoning with her hands for her to do the same. Confused, she complied while Angela crossed the distance between them and embraced her in a warm hug. At first she tensed at the sudden human touch, but Angela wouldn't let go, forcing her to melt into the embrace. Satisfied, she let her go, but still held her by the shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. Brennan didn't want to admit it, but she would have liked for the closeness to continue a while longer.

"Whatever it is you're going through, you will make it through, you always do. And I will be here", she said.

"Thank you", Brennan answered gratefully. She turned to the wall to hide the fact that her eyes were burning with tears that threatened to break through. "Did you have anything to say that was related to the case?"

The corner's of Angela's mouth twitched slighly at the change of tone, but she nodded. "Well, I have the reconstruction of the victim ready, but Cam did say that you weren't even supposed to be in today -"

"She said that I could come to work on Monday the earliest, which is today."

"Yes, but that indicated that you shouldn't have come -fine, do you want to see it now?"

They walked together into Angela's office and to the Angelator. She had once again done an excellent job at reconstructing the skull and had even managed to save the SIM card from the victim's, Jordan Adams', phone.

Angela put up some pictures that had been taken on the night that the woman had been killed. They were all a bit hazy, showing partying people in some sort of club.

"So, I managed to zoom in one of the coasters on the table..." She pulled out a picture that showed two girls, both about 20 years of age, sitting at a table. They had both set down their drinks on their coasters, but the edge of the other could be seen. "... and it could be one of two clubs, an Irish Bar or a club on the other side of town that's popular with teenagers."

"Good. I'll call Booth", she immediately concluded, pulling out her phone. Angela cocked her head.

"How is it going with him, anyways? Have you talked about... anything? About Hannah?"

"No", she simly said, pressing Booth's speed dial and waiting for him to pick up. He answered on the second ring. "Hey, we might know the club they were partying at. Yes... At one clock in the diner? Right, see you then."

"You seem to be spending more time together now", Angela pressed on, watching her carefully.

"Yes, I suppose we are. We watched a movie the other night and slept toge -"

Angela jumped a few feet in the air, throwing away all pretenses that she was trying to work, he eyes shinign. "What? You slept together? You can not be serious, you've had this big news all morning and didn't think to tell me until now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about", Brennan replied, eyeing her whailing arms warily,

"- or what's making you make those facial expressions. Are you experiencing any digestional problems due to the pregnancy?"

"No!" She bellowed out, too excited to let her throw her off with the oblivous question. "How was it? How did it happen?"

Brennan frowned, trying to figure out what made "It was- it was nice. I asked him to stay over and -"

"You actually asked him? You didn't just jump each other like two wild animals after one of those meaningful, long looks you share?"

"We don't share meaningful looks – what are you talking about?"

When Brennan realized what Angela meant, she let out a laugh that she hoped didn't sound as nervous to her ears as it did to her. "Booth and I didn't have sex, that's absurd! We slept in the same bed."

Angela's smile melted off her face as though it was made from modeling clay. "It's not absurd and why didn't you say so in the first place? You got me all excited for no reason -"

"You misunderstood my meaning."

"Right", she sighed, running a hand through her hair, frustrated. "Well, you slept in the same bed, that's pretty intimate, too. How did that happen?"

"We watched a movie and I asked him to stay over, because... it was late and he would have had to drive home and -"

"What did you watch?" She immediately asked, her interest perking up again.

"The Lord of the Rings, why?"

Angela was fighting off a victorious grin for some reason. "Oh, nothing. That's quite a long movie... Did you fall asleep during it?"

"I did, actually. You're right, it's a bit long -"

"When you woke up, were you leaning on him? Was he stroking your hair?"

"Yes, why?"

At that, Angela finally started to laugh. "Oh, honey! Isn't it obvious what he was doing?"

"What?"

"Never mind." She was still chuckling when she shut down the screen and made some final marks on her notes. She moved to the door, almost skipping and yelled to the hall at the top of her lungs, "Hey, Jack! Get in here!"

"Do you want to talk to him about the case? Has he found more evidence from the victim?" Brennan asked, interested.

"No", Angela simply chuckled as Hodgins came, jogging, inside the room.

"Is everything alright with the baby?" He immediately inquired, looking like he would be ready to carry his wife to the emergence room if necessary.

Angela raised a hand to calm him. "Everything's fine, Jack. "

Hodgings took in a deep breath, moving to lean against Angela's desk. "Don't scare me like that. Hey, Doctor B", Hogdings greeted her as he had time to register what was happening in the rest of the world. "I thought Cam said that you wouldn't be in today."

"Don't start", Angela jumped in before Brennan had time to reply. "Guess what movie Brennan and Booth watched the other night? The Lord of the Rings." Hodgins' mouth started to form a smile and she continued, "It was really late when they were finished and he stayed over."

"Really?"

"Really."

"That dog", Hodgins grinned widely, crossing his arms across his chest, while Brennan grew more and more confused. She looked from him to Angela and back again, but the pair just kept grinning to each other.

"I think I'm going to go have some work done", Brennan announced, preparing to leave the two of them in peace, but Hodgins seemed to be waking from his Angela haze and stopped her.

"No, wait, I have something for you. I found some particulates from the victim that might give us a clue of where she was killed. I'll bring them by later once I've talked to Cam."

Brennan nodded, her mind already elsewhere. "That's fine." She walked away, leaving Hodgins and Angela alone, smiling secretively.

"You want to watch a movie tonight, too?" Hodgins asked wickedly, wrapping his arm tightly around his wife, while she smiled back.

"What do you want to watch?"

"I was thinking something along the lines of Avatar, or the Godrather..."

"Sounds good", she replied by giving him a light kiss on the lips and lingering there. "I hope you don't mind if we don't watch through the whole thing."


End file.
